Going Crazy In Public

Mac Fontana #4

by Earl Emerson

When Fire Chief Mac Fontana and his crew are thrust into the national media spotlight after a daring rescue, they must save the life of a former actress and her son, whose obsession is arson, from tabloid demolition while working to stop the real arsonist. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Earl Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of Vertical Burn, as well as the Thomas Black detective series. He lives in North Bend, Washington.

Reviews

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oddball assortment of characters populate the town of Staircase and the fire chief, Mac Fontana, has to deal with all of them. There is a series of arsons happening in town and the regular firefighters and volunteers are getting run ragged trying to handle all of them. Mac is trying to figure out who is setting them. The surrounding towns and Seattle are also experiencing a lot of arson fires and they think they are tied together.
Mac also has some personal issues to deal with and personnel issues with some of the firefighters. A woman in town has been discovered to be an actress who had gone into hiding and the press have descended on the town and are hounding her. She trusts Mac and he is trying to help her. There is a reporter who has been harassing the woman for years and now he is writing stories including Mac with lots of fabrications in them.
Good descriptions of fire scenes and how firefighters deal with the things they encounter. Some humor thrown in with the mystery. Have read others in this series and enjoy them.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Crazy in Public - G
Emerson, Earl - 4th in Mac Fontana series

On a balmy night in June someone strikes a match and starts a fire, sparking outrage and fear in the sleepy town of Staircase, Washington. Fire Chief Mac Fontana's job is to restore the town's safety and stop the arsonist before he strikes again. The media descend on Staircase, and unexpectedly the town erupts with celebrity fever. A dramatic rescue effort by Mac's crew to pluck six people from another house on fire brings national attention, and the townsfolk fall all over themselves in adulation. But when reclusive actress Aimee Lee Culpepper is discovered living on the outskirts of town, thrusting her into the limelight for the first time since scandal ruined her reputation, things get complicated. Fontana's personal life - and his relationship with Aimee Lee - become tabloid fodder. And suddenly the newspapers begin to question his integrity. The arsonist continues on his burning binge, an innocent life is lost, and Mac must look for some unpleasant answers. Is Aimee Lee's young, fire-fascinated son the culprit? Or could it be one of Mac's own firefighters? Is Fontana the arsonist's ultimate target?

I actually liked this better than the latest in his Thomas black series (Million-Dollar Tattoo), which is unusual.

[Beth Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this series of books by Earl Emerson. His books are all set in the Pacific Northwest. This series features Mac Fontana, fire chief in the small fictional town of Staircase, outside of Seattle. The stories are full of quirky characters including a female mayor who is also a volunteer fire fighter. This time there are a series of arsons being set and Mac is stumped as to who is setting them. The logical choice seems to be a young boy, who had set fires in the past. But Mac doesn't think it is him because of the different circumstances. Amidst all the uproar he also has to fight off a pesky news reporter and an annoying safety director who will do anything to make Mac look bad so he can take his job. A fun little story.

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like to support the local authors, and Earl Emerson is a Seattle fireman with a couple series (at least) of fire mysteries set in the state of Washington.

The Mac Fontana series is set in the area east o Seattle, nestled under the mountains. In this episode, there are arsonists at work. Or is it one arsonist in multiple areas? And a famous actress is discovered to be living incognito in their midst and reportedly having a torrid affair with our Mac.

Had a harder time getting through this one, but think it was more from being distracted than disinterested.

Love the titles tha Emerson chooses, never a dull moment!

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 in the Mac Fontana series. Mac Fontana left an Eastern city fire department after 18 years and is content to be chief of the fire department in Staircase, a hamlet east of Seattle.

Mac Fontana is trying to catch a serial arsonist who is striking around the Seattle area. When he is caught, he confesses to only some of the fires in Staircase and he has an alibi for the fire that almost killed Mac's son and did kill the mother of his landlady, Mary. Several people want to blame the teenage son of an actress trying to avoid publicity by hiding in a small town.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffers is the most disgusting excuse for a reporter I've ever seen in a book this year but I don't doubt for a minute he is an accurate representation of many real life ones. I adore Mac and I still dislike Mo. This is a good series, but the writing is becoming the usual cadence of this genre instead of the unique choppy rhythm set in the first book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mac Fontana is fire chief for Satircase,WA near Seattle. A widower with a young son, he is good at his job and finds himself in some very interesting situations. An arsonist is on the loose and Mac sets out to catch him. This series will require my further attention.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book that I would give 4 1/2 stars, if I were allowed to. This is the best Mac Fontana book that I have read. Fontana must battle an arsonist and murderer while trying to keep small town gossip at bay. Highly recommended.

[David Freas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earl Emerson's Mac Fontana series books are worth reading for the chapter titles alone.

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story in the series.